Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Monday, April 5 from Cliff - The Final Post, We're Home
Up at 3:30 AM (some of the team never went to bed) for our last trip to the airport. The plane left Manila at 7 AM and we were off to Philadelphia. There is nothing good that can be said about being in a plane for as long as we were. After 24 hours on travel we arrived in Philadelphia at 3:30 in the afternoon. Everything was again familiar. The traffic was understandable although heavy at times. But now when I look at things, I am seeing things in a different light. I expect that this new perception will go on for some time. I am returning with the knowledge that in the US we do many things right, but we also are overlooking many other things that we could do better. Maybe in a small way I can add to the voices that want to see positive changes in how everyone in the world lives and interacts. And that is the whole purpose of this exchange. I have to thank Rotary for having the foresight to offer this program. My only wish would be that more people could participate in the program and have this kind of experience.
TS Eliot and GSE
When I was a senior in high school, my English teacher, Matt Carr, gave us a writing assignment based on a quote from Eliot's poem "Four Quartets":
"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."
A month ago I arrived here in Manila, spent the night at the AIM Conference Center, woke up the next morning and explored the Greenbelt Mall in Makati before attending our welcoming dinner with Gov Sid. Now here I am--it's just after midnight, and I'm sitting in one of Greenbelt's big open plazas outside the Cafe Havana listening to the band. A few hours ago we were at our farewell dinner with Gov Sid and so many of the other wonderful people we met and spent time with this past month. In a little while I'll walk back over to AIM to finish the last bit of packing and while away the final few hours before Fed arrives at 3:30 am to take us to the airport.
Wasn't a month ago just yesterday?
Manila is no longer a foreign land of strange customs. I can order from the menu with relative competence, translate the abbreviations with greater ease...although I doubt I will ever have what it takes to drive on Manila's roads (Palawan, sure, but not Manila!).
It has been an extraordinary month, filled with surprises, education, understanding, appreciation, sharing, and service. We have been given a precious gift in this time abroad--a gift of more than pasalubong (souveniers)--a gift of inspiration. Despite the challenges and hardships present here, our Rotary hosts have stood up and commuted themselves to be of service. Hunger? Feed the hungry, one at a time if need be, then create programs that will help them find ways to feed themselves. Homelessness? Build new houses, by the hundreds and thousands. Government corruption? Sponsor voter education meetings, so people will not fear the election process and be willing to come out and cast their votes. Illiteracy? Adopt remote communities, build schools, supply textbooks and resources, sponsor new programs. Rotarians here are pillars of strength, beacons of light, willing servants for the community's greater good, despite the seemingly overwhelming odds against success.
In every community we visited, I saw roadside signs enumerating the Four-Way Test - as clear an indication as any that Rotarians here are as concerned about community values as they are about social justice.
At the dinner tonight Cliff said we are leaving with far more than we arrived with (and he wasn't referring to pasalubong either!) I absolutely agree - the 84 clubs of 3830 have found a way to develop their leadership potential, be of service, and create an exceptional network of fellowship as well. There certainly is a lot to be learned here, and I hope I've managed to bring some of it home with me.
I'm in the same place I was a month ago, but that place is not the same to me.
It's time to go home.
Lew
"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."
A month ago I arrived here in Manila, spent the night at the AIM Conference Center, woke up the next morning and explored the Greenbelt Mall in Makati before attending our welcoming dinner with Gov Sid. Now here I am--it's just after midnight, and I'm sitting in one of Greenbelt's big open plazas outside the Cafe Havana listening to the band. A few hours ago we were at our farewell dinner with Gov Sid and so many of the other wonderful people we met and spent time with this past month. In a little while I'll walk back over to AIM to finish the last bit of packing and while away the final few hours before Fed arrives at 3:30 am to take us to the airport.
Wasn't a month ago just yesterday?
Manila is no longer a foreign land of strange customs. I can order from the menu with relative competence, translate the abbreviations with greater ease...although I doubt I will ever have what it takes to drive on Manila's roads (Palawan, sure, but not Manila!).
It has been an extraordinary month, filled with surprises, education, understanding, appreciation, sharing, and service. We have been given a precious gift in this time abroad--a gift of more than pasalubong (souveniers)--a gift of inspiration. Despite the challenges and hardships present here, our Rotary hosts have stood up and commuted themselves to be of service. Hunger? Feed the hungry, one at a time if need be, then create programs that will help them find ways to feed themselves. Homelessness? Build new houses, by the hundreds and thousands. Government corruption? Sponsor voter education meetings, so people will not fear the election process and be willing to come out and cast their votes. Illiteracy? Adopt remote communities, build schools, supply textbooks and resources, sponsor new programs. Rotarians here are pillars of strength, beacons of light, willing servants for the community's greater good, despite the seemingly overwhelming odds against success.
In every community we visited, I saw roadside signs enumerating the Four-Way Test - as clear an indication as any that Rotarians here are as concerned about community values as they are about social justice.
At the dinner tonight Cliff said we are leaving with far more than we arrived with (and he wasn't referring to pasalubong either!) I absolutely agree - the 84 clubs of 3830 have found a way to develop their leadership potential, be of service, and create an exceptional network of fellowship as well. There certainly is a lot to be learned here, and I hope I've managed to bring some of it home with me.
I'm in the same place I was a month ago, but that place is not the same to me.
It's time to go home.
Lew
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Good Friday
This is a hard post to write.
Let's start by saying I'm a bit more of an outsider here than usual--even though I married Sharon, who was raised in a traditional Roman Catholic family, I'm very much a Jew--and here, I'm a Jew in a nation that is overwhelmingly Catholic.
So I expected to be an outsider when we went to observe the crucifixions in Pampanga yesterday. In truth, I expected a LOT of things yesterday, and not many of them were realized.
I expected to see people voluntarily have themselves nailed to crosses--that part most certainly did happen. 6 times, in fact, including one woman in the role of Christ.
But beyond that, it was extraordinarily different than I expected. I thought there would be a great sense of solemnity, but that was pretty far from the case; in fact, the atmosphere would be better described as carnivalesque. The huge crowd was catered to by a horde of food and merchandise vendors that lined the street leading to the...what to call it? Field? Event arena? Hill? I'm not sure. It could have been a street festival for any occasion at all. The only overt reminder of how this was going to end was the hill itself--surrounded by two concentric rings of chain-link fencing, sporting three stark white crosses at the summit.
To stand outside the perimeter to watch was completely free; but as we quickly discovered, for a small fee--500 pesos--we could get courtside seats (that's obviously an exaggeration--there were no seats here--standing or squatting only). Who could resist? Certainly not us--nor the could the others up there with us, a crowd mostly comprised of foreign tourists and members of the media, accompanied by a large group of men dressing the part as Roman centurions (painted cardboard armor and drawn-on beards). So there we were, a mere 10-15 feet away from the action, able to see it all in fine detail--6 of the faithful submitting to having themselves nailed through the palms.
What to think of this?
I have never attended a public execution--with any luck this is as close as I'll ever get. But I couldn't help but realize that this festive atmosphere--all of these smiling, happy people (perhaps as many as a thousand, from the look of it)--was no different from ever similar moment in human history. Public execution has always brought out the townsfolk, picnic lunches in hand, to watch the criminals receive their just punishments, and be thankful it's not them suffering the long arm of law.
Why was I there? The official Church has condemned this practice. There was no member of the clergy present as an officiant. No prayers were offered (except by those who were to be crucified). There was no official reenactment--no crown of thorns, no words from the Bible, no lines of dialogue.
When the hammer was raised, why didn't I look away? Why instead did I make sure my camera was rolling, so I could get the best photos and video possible? Why didn't I gasp in horror when the hammer came down, when I could see the nail driven in, when I could see pain on their faces? Moreso, why didn't a crowd of a thousand react in horror? I heard only a few scattered gasps, a natural enough reaction to the sight of anyone submitting themselves to any willful act of physical violence--but no great swelling of what I would call heartfelt religious fear at witnessing the reenactment of the death of Jesus Christ. Are we all so desensitized?
I was not expecting to have my own moment of religious epiphany--but I thought I might see others who did. In the end, all I saw was a crowd hungry for entertainment, devouring the show.
So I really don't know what to think or feel about what I saw yesterday. I don't doubt that those who volunteered for this act did so out of some sense of the expression of their faith--but I don't know how much of that was shared. I am glad I went--but mostly because I come away with more questions than answers.
It seems odd that this would end up being the final trip of our GSE experience; tonight, a dinner...tomorrow, a free day in Makati before our farewell dinner in the evening...then the flight home on Monday morning. I had thought it would be important to be here for Holy Week, and to witness the event surrounding it, and I was right--it was important. Now I just have to figure out why.
Lew
Let's start by saying I'm a bit more of an outsider here than usual--even though I married Sharon, who was raised in a traditional Roman Catholic family, I'm very much a Jew--and here, I'm a Jew in a nation that is overwhelmingly Catholic.
So I expected to be an outsider when we went to observe the crucifixions in Pampanga yesterday. In truth, I expected a LOT of things yesterday, and not many of them were realized.
I expected to see people voluntarily have themselves nailed to crosses--that part most certainly did happen. 6 times, in fact, including one woman in the role of Christ.
But beyond that, it was extraordinarily different than I expected. I thought there would be a great sense of solemnity, but that was pretty far from the case; in fact, the atmosphere would be better described as carnivalesque. The huge crowd was catered to by a horde of food and merchandise vendors that lined the street leading to the...what to call it? Field? Event arena? Hill? I'm not sure. It could have been a street festival for any occasion at all. The only overt reminder of how this was going to end was the hill itself--surrounded by two concentric rings of chain-link fencing, sporting three stark white crosses at the summit.
To stand outside the perimeter to watch was completely free; but as we quickly discovered, for a small fee--500 pesos--we could get courtside seats (that's obviously an exaggeration--there were no seats here--standing or squatting only). Who could resist? Certainly not us--nor the could the others up there with us, a crowd mostly comprised of foreign tourists and members of the media, accompanied by a large group of men dressing the part as Roman centurions (painted cardboard armor and drawn-on beards). So there we were, a mere 10-15 feet away from the action, able to see it all in fine detail--6 of the faithful submitting to having themselves nailed through the palms.
What to think of this?
I have never attended a public execution--with any luck this is as close as I'll ever get. But I couldn't help but realize that this festive atmosphere--all of these smiling, happy people (perhaps as many as a thousand, from the look of it)--was no different from ever similar moment in human history. Public execution has always brought out the townsfolk, picnic lunches in hand, to watch the criminals receive their just punishments, and be thankful it's not them suffering the long arm of law.
Why was I there? The official Church has condemned this practice. There was no member of the clergy present as an officiant. No prayers were offered (except by those who were to be crucified). There was no official reenactment--no crown of thorns, no words from the Bible, no lines of dialogue.
When the hammer was raised, why didn't I look away? Why instead did I make sure my camera was rolling, so I could get the best photos and video possible? Why didn't I gasp in horror when the hammer came down, when I could see the nail driven in, when I could see pain on their faces? Moreso, why didn't a crowd of a thousand react in horror? I heard only a few scattered gasps, a natural enough reaction to the sight of anyone submitting themselves to any willful act of physical violence--but no great swelling of what I would call heartfelt religious fear at witnessing the reenactment of the death of Jesus Christ. Are we all so desensitized?
I was not expecting to have my own moment of religious epiphany--but I thought I might see others who did. In the end, all I saw was a crowd hungry for entertainment, devouring the show.
So I really don't know what to think or feel about what I saw yesterday. I don't doubt that those who volunteered for this act did so out of some sense of the expression of their faith--but I don't know how much of that was shared. I am glad I went--but mostly because I come away with more questions than answers.
It seems odd that this would end up being the final trip of our GSE experience; tonight, a dinner...tomorrow, a free day in Makati before our farewell dinner in the evening...then the flight home on Monday morning. I had thought it would be important to be here for Holy Week, and to witness the event surrounding it, and I was right--it was important. Now I just have to figure out why.
Lew
Finishing what I started
Since we're here at the airport in Puerto Princesa with two hours to wait until our flight departs for Manila, might as well take the opportunity to do some writing.
First let's explain why it's been 5 days since my last post. I fully intended to finish off that last one sometime on Thursday - but I woke up at 5:30 am with a bit of a stomach bug that not only kept me from posting, but also kept me from leaving my room at Sonie's all day. On the plus side, I learned a few things about Asian TV. On the downside, I missed the team's visit to the university of Santo Tomas rare book room. Grrrrrrrrrrr. More on all of that later
So here's what I learned from the Paranaque club's report to Gov Sid:
Over the past year they ran a vocational training program; 40 adults enrolled, 36 of them graduated.
They sponsored the purchase of a water filter for a village without a source of potable water.
They were among the first of the Manila area clubs to respond when the call went out requesting emergency relief assistance in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy - running a feeding program in Quezon City and and Laguna that aided some 8000 people, and provided material relief goods to an additional 5000 people. In December the returned to Laguna with Christmas presents for residents still suffering displacement.
They were one of four clubs out of the 84 total clubs to sponsor a member of the outbound GSE team soon heading for New Jersey - Lorena Gerna.
They established a partnersip with an Interact Club. They sponsored Red Cross emergency training and a local conservation briefing for the community.
Those are the highlights; I was writing notes as fast as I could during the presentation! Clearly this club, although small in membership, has a lot going on. I was interested to hear they plan to assist local aspiring community folk to break the poverty cycle by helping the look for sources of funding like microgrants, and starting a cooperative venture between the club members and local chefs to teach the poor Cooking as a household skill (if anyone out there is curious about the link between superprocessed fast foods and significant health problems among the poorest populations around the world, give me a shout and I'll happily explain it).
Gov Sid took the opportunity to address the club, congratulating them on their success and challenging them to improve and intensify other efforts. I was particularly thrilled to hear him reiterate the challenge he accepted at DisCon on behalf of the entire District to identify 100 high school graduates intending to pursue careers as teachers and do everything possible to facilitate their progress.
He also advocated a renewed effort to create programs to help develop ethical leadership and prote positive values both within Rotary and without.
Gov Sid also promised to assist the club's effort to establish sister agreements with clubs in Macao and Thailand. He used the phrase "Service beyond boundaries," which I though was a really great slogan.
Once the formal reports were finished, there was nothing left but singing and dancing - and yessiree there was plenty of both. It was a fun and interesting meeting from start to finish, and I'm very glad Sonie gave me the opportunity to attend!
Lew
First let's explain why it's been 5 days since my last post. I fully intended to finish off that last one sometime on Thursday - but I woke up at 5:30 am with a bit of a stomach bug that not only kept me from posting, but also kept me from leaving my room at Sonie's all day. On the plus side, I learned a few things about Asian TV. On the downside, I missed the team's visit to the university of Santo Tomas rare book room. Grrrrrrrrrrr. More on all of that later
So here's what I learned from the Paranaque club's report to Gov Sid:
Over the past year they ran a vocational training program; 40 adults enrolled, 36 of them graduated.
They sponsored the purchase of a water filter for a village without a source of potable water.
They were among the first of the Manila area clubs to respond when the call went out requesting emergency relief assistance in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy - running a feeding program in Quezon City and and Laguna that aided some 8000 people, and provided material relief goods to an additional 5000 people. In December the returned to Laguna with Christmas presents for residents still suffering displacement.
They were one of four clubs out of the 84 total clubs to sponsor a member of the outbound GSE team soon heading for New Jersey - Lorena Gerna.
They established a partnersip with an Interact Club. They sponsored Red Cross emergency training and a local conservation briefing for the community.
Those are the highlights; I was writing notes as fast as I could during the presentation! Clearly this club, although small in membership, has a lot going on. I was interested to hear they plan to assist local aspiring community folk to break the poverty cycle by helping the look for sources of funding like microgrants, and starting a cooperative venture between the club members and local chefs to teach the poor Cooking as a household skill (if anyone out there is curious about the link between superprocessed fast foods and significant health problems among the poorest populations around the world, give me a shout and I'll happily explain it).
Gov Sid took the opportunity to address the club, congratulating them on their success and challenging them to improve and intensify other efforts. I was particularly thrilled to hear him reiterate the challenge he accepted at DisCon on behalf of the entire District to identify 100 high school graduates intending to pursue careers as teachers and do everything possible to facilitate their progress.
He also advocated a renewed effort to create programs to help develop ethical leadership and prote positive values both within Rotary and without.
Gov Sid also promised to assist the club's effort to establish sister agreements with clubs in Macao and Thailand. He used the phrase "Service beyond boundaries," which I though was a really great slogan.
Once the formal reports were finished, there was nothing left but singing and dancing - and yessiree there was plenty of both. It was a fun and interesting meeting from start to finish, and I'm very glad Sonie gave me the opportunity to attend!
Lew
Friday, April 2, 2010
Holy, Holy week
The traditions of Holy Week certainly vary from country to country. I've been fortunate to spend holy week in three foreign countries: Italy, Australia, and now, the Philippines. The Italians of course have the college text book Holy Week. Being one with the Vatican, what more could you expect? In Australia, which is known for their public holidays, they basically turn the whole week into a beer fest. I do not mean to be critical, but we hit the bars Easter Sunday, and the government had "Easter Monday" off. Easter Monday, seriously?
Well here in the Philippines, Holy Week is, well, holy. Manila comes to a standstill from Wednesday night until Easter Sunday. No business is done Maundy Thursday and is still limited on Good Friday. Even Manila's infamous traffic takes leave as most of the inhabitants head for the provinces to be with their families.
I wanted to soak in all that I could. So I made arrangements to attend mass at the Manila Cathedral which was conducted by the Archbishop of
Manila. The Mass if the Lord's Supper and footwashing was 100% in Tagalog, but thanks to the uniformity of Catholicism, I was able to follow along. The High Mass was more than well attended. After communion, the Archbishop had one announcnent which he made in English: two hours before the mass, Rome had called informing them that they have selected their nominee for a new Archbishop. The church went into a roar. It was an exciting moment. After mass, I managed to find a taxi, and
a trip that normally would take 39 minutes, took a mere 15.
The next day I awoke with the excitement if attending a real live crucifixion. It sort of made me excited but nervous in one breath. We headed off to Pampanga with a hope and a prayer to see some crucifyin'. Well, we got what we asked for (I'm sure all of you will see my pictures). I too even had a spot on the cross--nail-less of course. We got literal front row seats for the action. There really are now words for what I saw. It was true devotion, but a carnival rolled up into one. So for our last "cultural day," I was certainly not disappointed by what I saw. All in all, the Filipinos know how to do Holy Week with their own unique flare.
Well here in the Philippines, Holy Week is, well, holy. Manila comes to a standstill from Wednesday night until Easter Sunday. No business is done Maundy Thursday and is still limited on Good Friday. Even Manila's infamous traffic takes leave as most of the inhabitants head for the provinces to be with their families.
I wanted to soak in all that I could. So I made arrangements to attend mass at the Manila Cathedral which was conducted by the Archbishop of
Manila. The Mass if the Lord's Supper and footwashing was 100% in Tagalog, but thanks to the uniformity of Catholicism, I was able to follow along. The High Mass was more than well attended. After communion, the Archbishop had one announcnent which he made in English: two hours before the mass, Rome had called informing them that they have selected their nominee for a new Archbishop. The church went into a roar. It was an exciting moment. After mass, I managed to find a taxi, and
a trip that normally would take 39 minutes, took a mere 15.
The next day I awoke with the excitement if attending a real live crucifixion. It sort of made me excited but nervous in one breath. We headed off to Pampanga with a hope and a prayer to see some crucifyin'. Well, we got what we asked for (I'm sure all of you will see my pictures). I too even had a spot on the cross--nail-less of course. We got literal front row seats for the action. There really are now words for what I saw. It was true devotion, but a carnival rolled up into one. So for our last "cultural day," I was certainly not disappointed by what I saw. All in all, the Filipinos know how to do Holy Week with their own unique flare.
Friday, April 2 from Cliff
Good Friday, the day of the crucifixion of Christ, a day in the Philippines where all activity ceases. Normally choked roads are empty and in the province of Pampanga the unusual ritual of re-enacting the crucifixion takes place. People are literally nailed to a cross. We witnessed one of the re-enactments in the town of Angeles. Upon paying 500 pesos we were given access to get as close to the action as we could. Behind us there was a throng of at least a thousand people. This was truly a sight to see. You could see the pain in the faces of those crucified (there were two sets of three people nailed to the cross). It may be spiritually uplifting for those involved, but to me the carnival atmosphere of the crowds and all the vendors that showed up made it a different experience for me.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Thursday, April 1 from Cliff
Today was a rest day with no scheduled activities. Lew went to meet Efren Penniflorida’s group in Cavite. Tim met up with Melody, got to ride the jeepney and was able to take a long walk. Haven’t heard what Ben did yet. I connected with Sam Lim, from the RC Parañanque St. Andrew, for a round of golf at Eagle Ridge Golf Club. This was a very nice facility with 4 golf courses, a large swimming pool, and a recreation center that included a bowling alley. I played with George Lim, from Singapore, and Deb, from India (the pronunciation sounds like ‘debp’). All three of them are in some aspect of the marine shipping business. After golf, we sat by the pool for a little while and then went to a Korean Restaurant where we sat on the floor to eat. The food was very good.
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